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M. M. WEST T" AL- July 28, 1925.

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Filed May 1923 NVEST,

Patented J ul-y 28 1925.

UNITED .STATES MANSFIELD WEST, OF CLEVELAND, AND BIiEN YAN a wasr, QF CLE ELAN HEIGHTS, .o-axo, ASSIGNOR-S To THE'UNIVEBSAL SHOE ELATE COMPANY, or LAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

L sri Application filed May 7,

Total? whom it may concern:

Be it known that we (1) MANSFIELD M. (2) BRENNAN B. 'VVEsT, citizens of the United States, residing at (1) Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, in the county of Cuya'hoga and State of Ohio, have'invented a certain new and useful Improvement in-Lasts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to theaccompany ing draw- 'jl he primary purpose-of our invention is" toprovid'e 'a last and stand for supporting shoes of practicallyany size while applying shoe plates or protectors to the soles and heels thereof, and which is convertible from a comparatiiiel'y' flat bottom last to one having a high arch so as to accommo-' date both relatively flat'shoes and those having high heels and consequently high arches.

Again, and more generally, our aim is to provide an outfit particularly for home use, of few parts as possible which will support shoes of practically all sizes and styles with the security necessary for applying shoe plates to the soles and heels thereof.

V'Vhile intended for use especially in applying shoe plates, the invention has, of course, a much wider field of utility and may be usedunder any circumstances where ordinary lasts of similar size are employed.

More specifically stated, our invention has for its objects to provide a Well proportioned last and stand, combined in an integral unit, and of a size and shape that will render it suitable for supporting shoes of various sizes, as, for example, childrens comparatively fiat bottom shoes while applying plates to either the soles or heels thereof, or girls and boys and mens and womens shoes while applying plates, especially to the heels thereof, it being necessary, of course, to shift the'position of the 1 shoe on the last until the part of the sole or heel to which the plate is to be attached is properly supported; and to provide an attachment or so -called toe extension which may be readily applied to the last thereby to convert it into one having a high arch and narrow toe to better adapt it to the styles of womens high heel shoes, the toe of the original last, through such conversion, becoming the heel of the high arch last 1923; sEiiariro. 837,184.

so that the" assembly is better-proportioned and the pedestal or stand more centrally located with respect to the high a'r'chlast thereby'to better balance the structure and prevent interference with the shifting of a shoe thereon to the desired position.-

Further objects are to provide a simple" and inexpensive yet very substantial and practically [indestructible 1 device of the aforesaid character possessing the foregoing features" andwh ichisparticularly conven ientj of use! The present preferred embodiment of 0131" invention is". illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig; 1 is aside elevaj tlOIl, and Fig. 2 a plan View of the com-q plete device';- Figs.*3f and 4 are, re's'pect1vely,

unit, is the combination last and stand shown alone in Figs. 3 and 4. This unit comprises a comparatively fiat bottom last 1 which is supported by a pedestal 2 a desirable distance above a base 3 which is 1 shown as provided with notches 4 for the accommodation of suitable fastening means, such as screws, for securing the device to a support. Between the sole and heel, the body portion of the last is provided with recesses or sockets 5 which open upwardly and are shown as separated by a rib 6 that connects the sole and heel portions and imparts the required strengthto the structure.

It will be readily understood how a shoe may be slipped over the last 1 in inverted position and supported so that shoe plates or protectors may be driven into the sole or heel thereof. If the shoe is small enough to fit the last 1 it will be properly supported at both toe and heel. A larger shoe, however, must be shifted forwardly if it is the intention to apply a plate to the heel there of, or rearwardly if it is the desire to apply a plate to the sole or toe. It is found that a small last of the style illustrated will properly support shoes having comparatively fiat bottoms throughout a very wide range of sizes.

To adapt the last to What are known as high arch shoesthat is, shoes having high 'ili heels, such as French heels, and consequently high archesa toe extension, designated 8, is employed which has lugs 9 designed to fit within the sockets 5, and an abutment portion 10 which bears upon the heel of the last 1 so that the toe extension is very firmly supported against downward movement. In thus converting the original last into a high arch last, the toe of the former last becomes the heel of the high arch last. This is particularly desirable not only because the toe f the former last bears a proper relation to the sole portion of the toe extension 8, but the arrangement somewhat centralizes the stand or pedestal with respect to the high arch last and thus permits a shoe to be shifted to a greater extent than if the stand tion as to produce a high arch last with the heel portion thereof constituted of the toe portion of the first mentioned last. i f

2. In combination, a comparatively flat bottom last supported adjacent its heel by a pedestal, and an extension member adapted to be applied to said last in such relation as to produce a high arch last the heel portion whereof is constituted of the toe portion of the first mentioned last and wherein the pedestal is properly positioned with respect to the high arch last.

3. In combination, an integral unit comprising a stand and a complete comparatively small last, and an extension m enrb'er adapted to be applied to said last to convert it"into a larger last that is reversed with respect to the former last,the toe portion of the smaller last becoming through such conversion the heel portion of the larger last.

4. In combination, a comparatively fiat last having a rounded toe, and a toe extension member adapted to be applied to said last so as to project beyond the heel thereof, said toe extension member being shaped to produce, with the former last, a high arch last having as its heel the toe portion of the first mentioned last.

5. In combination, an integral unit comprising a comparatively fiat bottom last having a rounded toe and a pedestal supporting said last and joining the same adjacent its heel, and a toe extension member adapted to be applied to said last so as to project beyond the heel thereof, said member being so shaped as to produce, with the former last, a high arch last having as its heel the toe portion of the first mentioned last.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our signatures.

MANSFIELD M. WEST. BRENNAN WEST. 

